Scarring patterns of whale sharks, Rhincodon typus , at a provisioning site in the Philippines

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke Penketh ◽  
Anna Schleimer ◽  
Jessica Labaja ◽  
Sally Snow ◽  
Alessandro Ponzo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Philippines ◽  
Rhincodon Typus ◽  
Whale Sharks

scholarly journals Describing the population structure of Rhincodon typus occurring in the waters of Oslob– Cebu, Philippines– between March 2012 and June 2013, during the provisioning interaction hours.

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gonzalo Araujo ◽  
Alessandro Ponzo ◽  
Daniel Geary ◽  
Samantha Craven ◽  
Sally J Snow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
First Year ◽  
Systematic Data ◽  
Rhincodon Typus ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Monthly Average ◽  
Whale Sharks ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Systematic Data Collection

Background: Prior to this study, the aggregation of whale sharks in the waters of Oslob had never been described. Provisioning (Orams, 2002) activities started in late 2011, and systematic data collection in March 2012, attracting over 100,000 tourists in the first year, and is currently the most reliable aggregation of R. typus in the Philippines. Methods: Daily in-­‐water photographic identification was used as a non-­‐invasive means to describe the population throughout the study period. A total of 135 sharks were identified, and IDs were independently matched by three researchers to minimize error. Photogrammetry (Rohner, 2011) was adopted to complement population description. Results: Daily sightings ranged from 2 to 23 different animals in the interaction area (mean=11.14). A total of 109 males, 15 females and 11 R. typus of undetermined sex were described. The size was estimated for 73.3% of the population, with an average of 5.36m ±1.3m. Photogrammetry posed a mean of 5.63m ±0.59m on 14 sharks, 6.75% >than researchers’ estimates. Resighting (>1d) was observed in 66.7% of the population. Five individuals were present for >300d (n=443) in the interaction area, with a maximum of 420d. Nine individuals were successfully matched across regional hotspots including Donsol and Southern Leyte. Conclusion: Despite the presence of animals in Oslob year round and the influence of the provisioning, there appears to be a seasonal influx of animals, with a maximum of 46 different animals present in the month of June 2012 and again in May 2013, contrasting with a monthly average of 28.9. It appears these waters are important to the species and it’s paramount to fully investigate the impact of the provisioning on the population of R. typus in the Philippines.

Whale sharks Rhincodon typus get cleaned by the blue‐streak cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus and the moon wrasse Thalassoma lunare in the Philippines

2020 ◽  
Vol 97 (4) ◽  
pp. 1247-1251
Author(s):  
Gonzalo Araujo ◽  
Joni A. Miranda ◽  
Harriet L. Allen ◽  
Jessica Labaja ◽  
Sally Snow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Philippines ◽  
The Moon ◽  
Labroides Dimidiatus ◽  
Rhincodon Typus ◽  
Whale Sharks ◽  
Thalassoma Lunare

scholarly journals Can ecotourism change community attitudes towards conservation?

Oryx ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackie Ziegler ◽  
Gonzalo Araujo ◽  
Jessica Labaja ◽  
Sally Snow ◽  
Joseph N. King ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Status ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Community Attitudes ◽  
Focal Species ◽  
Rhincodon Typus ◽  
Basic Tenet ◽  
Whale Sharks ◽  
Tourism Activity ◽  
Negative Impacts

Abstract A basic tenet of ecotourism is to enhance conservation. However, few studies have assessed its effectiveness in meeting conservation goals and whether the type of tourism activity affects outcomes. This study examines whether working in ecotourism changes the perceptions of and attitudes and behaviours of local people towards the focal species and its habitat and, if so, if tourism type affects those outcomes. We interviewed 114 respondents at four whale shark Rhincodon typus tourism sites in the Philippines to compare changes in perceptions of and attitudes and behaviours towards whale sharks and the wider marine environment. We found that the smaller scale tourism sites had greater social conservation outcomes than the mass or failed tourism sites, including changes in conservation ethics and perceptions of and attitudes and behaviours towards whale sharks and the ocean. Furthermore, of the three active tourism sites, the smallest site, with the lowest economic returns and the highest negative impacts on whale sharks prior to tourism activities, had the largest proportion of respondents who reported a positive change in perceptions of and attitudes and behaviours towards whale sharks and the ocean. Our results suggest that tourism type, and the associated incentives, can have a significant effect on conservation outcomes and ultimately on the ecological status of an Endangered species and its habitat.

Daily abundance and residency patterns of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) at a unique provisioning site in the Philippines

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan Thomson ◽  
Gonzalo Araujo ◽  
Jessica Labaja ◽  
Emer Mccoy ◽  
Ryan Murray ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Philippines ◽  
Rhincodon Typus ◽  
Whale Sharks

scholarly journals Feeding the world's largest fish: highly variable whale shark residency patterns at a provisioning site in the Philippines

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (9) ◽  
pp. 170394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan A. Thomson ◽  
Gonzalo Araujo ◽  
Jessica Labaja ◽  
Emer McCoy ◽  
Ryan Murray ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prey Availability ◽  
Later Life ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Foraging Success ◽  
Remote Community ◽  
Rhincodon Typus ◽  
Individual Site ◽  
Whale Sharks ◽  
Diverse Individual ◽  
Alternative Sites

Provisioning wildlife for tourism is a controversial yet widespread practice. We analysed the residency patterns of juvenile whale sharks ( Rhincodon typus ) in Oslob, Philippines, where provisioning has facilitated a large shark-watching operation since 2011. We identified 208 individual sharks over three years, with an average of 18.6 (s.d. = 7.8, range = 6–43) individuals sighted per week. Weekly shark abundance varied seasonally and peak-season abundance (approx. May–November) increased across years. Whale sharks displayed diverse individual site visitation patterns ranging from a single visit to sporadic visits, seasonal residency and year-round residency. Nine individuals became year-round residents, which represents a clear response to provisioning. The timing of the seasonal peak at Oslob did not align with known non-provisioned seasonal aggregations elsewhere in the Philippines, which could suggest that seasonal residents at Oslob exploit this food source when prey availability at alternative sites is low. Since prolonged residency equates to less time foraging naturally, provisioning could influence foraging success, alter distributions and lead to dependency in later life stages. Such impacts must be carefully weighed against the benefits of provisioning (i.e. tourism revenue in a remote community) to facilitate informed management decisions.

scholarly journals Describing the population structure of Rhincodon typus occurring in the waters of Oslob– Cebu, Philippines– between March 2012 and June 2013, during the provisioning interaction hours.

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gonzalo Araujo ◽  
Alessandro Ponzo ◽  
Daniel Geary ◽  
Samantha Craven ◽  
Sally J Snow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
First Year ◽  
Systematic Data ◽  
Rhincodon Typus ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Monthly Average ◽  
Whale Sharks ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Systematic Data Collection

Background: Prior to this study, the aggregation of whale sharks in the waters of Oslob had never been described. Provisioning (Orams, 2002) activities started in late 2011, and systematic data collection in March 2012, attracting over 100,000 tourists in the first year, and is currently the most reliable aggregation of R. typus in the Philippines. Methods: Daily in-­‐water photographic identification was used as a non-­‐invasive means to describe the population throughout the study period. A total of 135 sharks were identified, and IDs were independently matched by three researchers to minimize error. Photogrammetry (Rohner, 2011) was adopted to complement population description. Results: Daily sightings ranged from 2 to 23 different animals in the interaction area (mean=11.14). A total of 109 males, 15 females and 11 R. typus of undetermined sex were described. The size was estimated for 73.3% of the population, with an average of 5.36m ±1.3m. Photogrammetry posed a mean of 5.63m ±0.59m on 14 sharks, 6.75% >than researchers’ estimates. Resighting (>1d) was observed in 66.7% of the population. Five individuals were present for >300d (n=443) in the interaction area, with a maximum of 420d. Nine individuals were successfully matched across regional hotspots including Donsol and Southern Leyte. Conclusion: Despite the presence of animals in Oslob year round and the influence of the provisioning, there appears to be a seasonal influx of animals, with a maximum of 46 different animals present in the month of June 2012 and again in May 2013, contrasting with a monthly average of 28.9. It appears these waters are important to the species and it’s paramount to fully investigate the impact of the provisioning on the population of R. typus in the Philippines.

scholarly journals Regional movements of satellite‐tagged whale sharks Rhincodon typus in the Gulf of Aden

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Andrzejaczek ◽  
Michel Vély ◽  
Daniel Jouannet ◽  
David Rowat ◽  
Sabrina Fossette
Keyword(s):  
Gulf Of Aden ◽  
Rhincodon Typus ◽  
Whale Sharks

scholarly journals Diet of whale sharks Rhincodon typus inferred from stomach content and signature fatty acid analyses

2013 ◽  
Vol 493 ◽  
pp. 219-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
CA Rohner ◽  
LIE Couturier ◽  
AJ Richardson ◽  
SJ Pierce ◽  
CEM Prebble ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Stomach Content ◽  
Rhincodon Typus ◽  
Whale Sharks

scholarly journals Spatial and temporal patterns of nature-based tourism interactions with whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia

2014 ◽  
Vol 148 ◽  
pp. 109-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas J. Anderson ◽  
Halina T. Kobryn ◽  
Brad M. Norman ◽  
Lars Bejder ◽  
Julian A. Tyne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Temporal Patterns ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Patterns ◽  
Rhincodon Typus ◽  
Ningaloo Reef ◽  
Whale Sharks
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